Thursday, January 5, 2012

Ditching the word "DIET"

Ahhhh welcome to a new year, where the one of the top 5 used words in everyones conversation at any given time is "diet". I am here to share my thoughts on the word, to either eliminate it from your vocabulary or change the context in which you use it. "Diet" has such a negative stigma associated with it typically. It embodies restrictions, deprivation, not good tasting food because it is supposed to be good for you, etc. I definitely used to be in a place where I used the word diet endlessly. I have deprived myself of numerous food choices, to then eventually eat an insane amount of whatever it was because I had not allowed myself to satisfy the craving when I first had it. I have participated in a variety of diets that are built on restrictions, consumed my fair share of food that was selected because it was "good" for me but tasted horrible. I have been sucked into alllllll the fad DIETS, all of which have not improved my health nor helped me accomplish whatever fitness goal I had desired when I first attempted the DIET. Finally I had to re-define diet for myself. I had to come to grips with all the things previously mentioned were not healthy and not productive. I had to stop. Now when I use the word "diet" it refers to lifestyle and eating habits. I turned a stereotypically negative word into something positive. I don't deprive myself of anything. If I am craving it, I listen to my body, satisfy the craving, and move on. Part of my diet/lifestyle is to make healthy choices most days of the week. I have mentioned it before but I describe my diet for the most part as "clean". When I say this I mean, while shopping at the grocery store I follow these few simple guidelines:
1. Stay in the perimeter of the store. The aisles will get you in trouble. I rarely venture down them. But if I do its for things like brown rice, tuna, condiments, spices, etc.
2. FRESH IS BEST!!!I can't say this enough. It has a shelf life and must be eaten in a timely manner, but fresh is always best. If you can't buy fresh, next best is frozen. Canned anything is horrible!!!It has so many additives and preservatives to allow it to have shelf life that the nutrition value suffers.
3. Look at the ingredients. The fewer the better. If you can't pronounce whats in it, your body can't recognize it and will struggle to effectively digest it.
Those simple quick tips will help you eat "clean" and contribute to a healthier lifestyle through your diet.

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About Me

I am a newly certified ACE trainer who is excited about fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. I created this blog to inspire others on many levels. Everyone always asks me, "what is my workout", "what do I eat", among other fitness questions..So I decided to give you you an insight to my workouts, my fitness experiences, nutrition tips, training stories as I start this new chapter as a trainer,educate you, along with motivational thoughts that will empower you on your journey towards a better YOU...And at a minimum entertain you!